Motor control system

ABSTRACT

An automatic warehouse system which allows an operator to sit at a fixed station and by placing punched cards into card readers and pressing a &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;GO&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; button can cause a fork to take one article from a pickup station into storage and to retrieve any other article from storage on its return trip and bring it to a selected set-down station and then return to the starting point. Depending upon the information punched on the card, it can skip either the storage or the retrieval operation and perform the other or it can cause the fork to move an article from any rack in the warehouse to any other rack without returning to the pickup or set-down stations. In performing these movements in three dimensions, the system is provided with apparatus which recalculates the position of the fork every step of the way so as to eliminate any error that may occur.

United States Patent 1 Cotton et al.

154] MOTOR CONTROL SYSTEM [76] Inventors: Ronald K. Cotton, 967 Levitt Parkway, Rockledge, Fla. 32955; Barney O. Rae, 4201 N. 27th Street, PO. Box 463, Shorewood, Wis. 53201 22 Filed: Nov. 12,1971

211 App1.No.: 198,210

Related US. Application Data [60] Continuation of Ser. No. 7,889, Feb. 2, 1970, abandoned, which is a division of Ser. Nos. 7,756, Feb. 2, 1970, and Ser. No. 670,094, Nov. 25, 1967, Pat. No. 3,537,602, which is a division of Ser. No. 498,326, Oct. 20, 1965, Pat. No. 3,504,245,

[ 1 Mar. 27, 1973 3,076,566 2/1963 Dennis ..214/l6.4 A

Primary Examiner-Robert G. Sheridan Assistant Examiner-R. B. Johnson Attorney-Hugh R. Rather [57] ABSTRACT An automatic warehouse system which allows an operator to sit at a fixed station and by placing punched cards into card readers and pressing a GO button can cause a fork to take one article from a pickup station into storage and to retrieve any other article from storage on its return trip and bring it to a selected set-down station and then return to the starting point. Depending upon the information punched on the card, it can skip either the storage or the retrieval operation and perform the other or it can cause the fork to move an article from any rack in the warehouse to any other rack without returning to the pick-up or set-down stations. ln performing these movements in three dimensions, the system is provided with apparatus which recalculates the position of the fork every step of the way so as to eliminate any error that may occur.

6 Claims, 20 Drawing Figures CODE 3 lllllH LLIII\\ llIllHL Llllfnl PATH-HEB MAR 27 I975 PICK- UP IIIIIIHL LllI|lH\ 1 l I n BRIDGE CODE BAR l4 EcoDEIIIHI LJIIII 6% sug i xcn TROLLEY cons v ems IAHNHU I916 TO TROLLEY MOTOR CONTROL C. POWER PPL RCLS SCLS

PATENTEDEMRZY 1975 v 37 3 841 SHEET [33 0F 17 PMEMTEBbh-XRRY 1973 3, 723, 841 SHEET on HF 17 TORE CA 12 D 2 EA DER PR5 PR6 PIZI P22. P25 PR4 OXIMITY A052 EGIH'IER A HOIQT PATEMEDMARNIQM 3,723,841 sum new 17 Oil P16. 5 FIG.5 FIG. 8

F|G.9 FIG. FIGJS Fla v FI6,6

FIGJO FIGJZ FIGJI- FIG-7 PATENTEDMARZ? 1975 SHEET BBBF 17 BWARY SUBTRACTOR FOR BRIDGE MOVEMENT BINARY SUBTIZACTOIZ F02 TROLLEY MOVE'MENT H 65x BINARY SUETRACI'OR FOR HO! ST MOVEMENT PATENTEDMARZY ms 3. 723, 841 SHEET mar 17 A1 1 5r. mes

Sci

PATENTEUMARZYIUYS 3 723 SHEET lSUF 17 D ,841

zuo STAGE v 52o. sue-e 0L3 I FSI FSSL F01. Riv.

PAIENIEUIIIRZY I973 EA IS SHEET 18 0F 1 7 --IIII- PROGRAM I I CARD I BRIDGE 4 (HOME) TROLLEY 34 (HOME) HOIST x9 (ROTATE) ROTATE X3 (NORTH) HOIST TO ROTATE POSITION B ROTATE IIII PROGRAM 2 I CARD I BRIDGE SAME AS PRI TROLLEY X28 (STORE) HOIST SAME AS PRI ROTATE--- SAME AS PRI TROLLEY TO STORE AISLE --IIII PROGRAM 3 I CARD I BRIDGE X20 (STORE) TROLLEY SAME AS PR2 HOIST X'I'ISTORE) ROTATE-- SAME AS PRI BRIDGE B HOIST TO STORE POSITION (BIN FULL) BACK INTO AISLE PROGRAM 6 I CARD I BRIDGE SAME AS PR3 TROLLEY-- SAME AS PR2 HOI$T SAME AS PR5 ROTATE SAME AS PRI NO MOTION PROGRAM 6A I GARO I BRIDGE X4 (HOME) TROLLEY SAME AS PR2 HOIST X9 ROTATE) ROTATE SAME AS PRI BRIDGE TO HOME 8 HOIST TO ROTATE POSITION STORE CYCLE PROGRAM 7 cARO I BRIOGE SAME As PR3 TROLLEY- SAME AS PR2 HOIST SAME AS PR5 ROTATE SAME AS PRI NO MOTION PROGRAM 7A CARD I aRIOGE-- 4 (HOME) TROLLEY x34 (HOME) HOIST 9 (ROTATE) ROTATE- SAME AS PRI TROLLEY TO HOME PROGRAM 8 I cARO I BRIDGE SAME AS PR3 TROLLEY-- SAME AS PR2 HOIST SAME AS PR5 ROTATE SAME AS PRI NO MOTION PROGRAM M I cARO I BRIDGE 4 (HOME) TROLLEY 34(HOME) HOIST 9 (ROTATE) ROTATE- XZIMIDDLE) ROTATE TO CENTER PROGRAM 9 I CARD I BRIDGE SAME AS PR3 TROLLEY- SAME AS PR2 HOIST SAME AS PR5 ROTATE SAME AS PRI NO MOTION PROGRAM 9A CARD I BRIDGE 4 (HOME) TROLLEY 34 (HOME) HOIST X6 (PICK-UP) ROTATE 2 (MIDDLE) SET LOAD DOWN 6 CLEAR SYSTEM IIII PROGRAM l0 CARD I BRIDGE SAME As PR3 TROLLEY no cOOE HOIST- SAME As PR3 ROTATE SAME As PRI CHECK AISLE 8 ROTATE IAIENIEIIIIIIIZ'I I975 SHEET IIII PROGRAM I0 I CARD 2 BRIDGE NO CODE TROLLEY X24 (RETRIEVE) HOIST NO CODE ROTATE NO CODE CHECK AISLE BI ROTATE II PROGRAM II I CARD 2 BRIDGE X (RETRIEVE) TROLLEY-- SAME AS PR2 HOIST X (RETRIEVE) ROTATE SAME AS PRI BRIDGE B HOIST TO RETRIEVE POSITION (SAME AISLE -SAME SIDE) II PROGRAM IIAI CARD 2 BRIDGE 4 (HOME) TROLLEY- I9 (ROTATE) HOIST 9 ROTATE X BRIDGE TO HOME-TROLLEY D HOIST TO ROTATE IHIII PROGRAM IIBI CARD 2 BRIDGE 39 (MIDDLE AISLE) TROLLEY I9 (ROTATE) HOIST 9 (ROTATE) ROTATE XI (SOUTH) BRIDGE TO MIDDLE AISLE TROLLEY B HOIST TO ROTATE '0 PROGRAM I2 I CARD 2 BRIDGE SAME AS PR II TROLLEY- SAME AS PR IO HOIST SAME AS PRII ROTATE SAME AS PR II NO MOTION II PROGRAM I2AI CARD 2 BRIDGE 4 (HOME) TROLLEY SAME AS PRIO HOIST 9 ROTATE SAME AS PRIIA TROLLEY TO RETRIEVE AISLE IHIII PROGRAM I28] CARD 2 BRIDGE SAME AS PRIIB TROLLEY X24 (RETRIEVE) HOIST SAME AS PRIIB ROTATE SAME AS PRIIB TROLLEY TO RETRIEVE AISLE III PROGRAM I3 I CARD 2 BRIDGE X30 TROLLEY- SAME AS PRIO HOIST-- XI2 ROTATE SAME AS PRIIB gR IDGE 6 HOIST TO RETRIEVE -lII- PROGRAM I4 I CARD 2 BRIDGE SAME AS PRI3 TROLLEY sAME As PRIOBCTD HOIST SAME As PRI3 ROTATE sAME As PRIIB MOVE TROLLEY INTO BIN RETRIEVE CYCLE 3,723,841 17BF I7 -I]II PROGRAM I5 I CARD 2 BRIDGE SAME As PR )3 TROLLEY- an AS PRIODCTD HOIST Xl3(I POs.AaOvE PRI3) ROTATE SAME As PRIIa RAISE HOIST A BACK INTO AISLE {I|} PROGRAM I6 I CARD 2 BRIDGE x4 (HOME) TROLLEY- SAME AS PRIO HOIST xs ROTATE) ROTATE sAM As PRIIe BRIDGE, HOISTBI ROTATE (HOME) I PROGRAM I7 I CARD 2 BRIDGE sAME AS PRIG I TROLLEvx9 (SET DOWN #I) HOIST SAME As PRIG RoTATE- x2 (MIDDLE) I TROLLEY TO SET DOWN #l PROGRAM I7AI CARD 2 BRIDGE SAME AS PRIG I TROLLEY XI9 (SET oowmvzI I HOIST- SAME As PRIG I ROTATE x2 (MIDDLE) TROLLEY TO SET DOWN #2 II .9.- PROGRAM I8 I CARD 2 BRIDGE SAME As PRIG TROLLEY-- SAME As PRIG HOIST X6 I ROTATE sAME AS PRIT LOwER LOAD ONTO STATION PROGRAM IBAI CARD 2 BRIDGE SAME AS PRIG l TROLLEY- sAME AS PRIG I HOIST X6 ROTATE SAME AS PRI'IA I LOWER LOAD ONTO STATION -I] l PROGRAM I9 I CARD 2 I BRIDGE SAME As PRIS I TROLLEY- SAME AS PRI6 I IIOIsT x9 (ROTATE) I ROTATE sAME AS PRI'! I AFTER TIME DELAY- RAISE I FORKS To ROTATE POSITION PROGRAM I9Al CARD 2 BRIDGE SAME AS PRIG TROLLEY- SAME AS PRIG HOIST x9 (ROTATE) ROTATE sAME As PRITA AFTER TIME DELAY- RAIsE FORKS TO ROTATE POSITION -II|I PROGRAM 20! CARD 2 BRIDGE SAME AS PRIS TROLLEY x34 HOIST sAME As PRI9 ROTATE SAME AS PRIs TROLLEY TO HOME POSITION I]I} PROGRAM 2|] CARD 2 BRIDGE sAME As PRIs TROLLEY SAME As PRzo HOIST X6 (HOME) ROTATE sAME AS PRIs LOWER FORKS TO PICK-UP ELEVATION 5 CLEAR SYSTEM MOTOR CONTROL SYSTEM CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is a continuation of our application Ser. No. 7,889, now abandoned filed Feb. 2, 1970, which was a second division of our copending application Ser. No. 670,094, now US. Pat. No. 3,537,602 issued Nov. 3, 1970 filed Nov. 25, 1967, which is a divi- 0 BACKGROUND OF INVENTION This invention relates to automatic storage and retrieval systems and more particularly to an electrical system for controlling multiple coordinate movements in three dimensions of a crane or the like to place articles in storage racks or bins of a warehouse and to remove articles therefrom under the control of punched cards or the like information bearing media.

While not limited thereto, the invention is especially applicable to control of the left or right and forward or back trolley and bridge movements, respectively, and the vertical and rotary hoist and fork movements, respectively, of a stacker crane.

Cranes of this type have heretofore been operated under manual control and under partial automatic control. Under manual control, the operator rides the fork so that he can see where it is going and from individual hand levers first runs the trolley in a cross aisle along the bridge to a point opposite the desired long aisle and rotates the fork, which may carry a twenty foot long bundle of metal bar stock, sothat the load will fit into the long aisle. The operator then operates additional hand levers to run the bridge whereby to move the load down the aisle and to run the hoist to raise the load adjacent the desired rack. The operator then operates the trolley and hoist levers again to move the load over the rack, to lower the load onto the rack and to reverse the trolley back into the aisle. Under partial automatic control, a keyboard, dial or the like has been used to insert directive information into a control system which then controls the movements of the load-carrying fork. But these partial automatic control systems have been constructed and arranged on a counting basis so that after each operation, storing or retrieving as the case may be, the fork must return to the starting point before it can be sent out again on another errand. In these known systems, the directive information was put in initially and correct operation depended on its remaining sequentially accurate as stepping switches or the like were used. Thus, any error that might get in would give the device a false lead.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an automation system which allows the operator to sit at a fixed station and by merely placing punched cards (or equivalent information bearing media) into card readers or the like and pressing a GO button can cause the fork to take one article from the pickup station into storage and to retrieve any other article from storage and bring it to a selected set-down station before returning to the starting point or it can skip either the storage or retrieval operation. Or, depending upon the information punched on the cards, the system can cause the fork to move an article from any rack in the warehouse to any other rack without returning to the pickup or set-down stations. The invention has been devised to do this with the utmost reliability as will hereinafter appear.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved automation system for multiple coordinate motions control having greater reliability.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide an improved three dimensional motions control system which is continuously self-checking to avoid error.

Another specific object of the invention is to provide a motions control system of the aforesaid type which is constructed to provide better accuracy.

Another specific object of the invention is to provide a motions control system of the aforesaid type which recalculates its position every step of the way so that the system eliminates errors and always knows where it IS.

Another specific object of the invention is to provide a motions control system of the aforesaid type which does the job faster because it can perform a second operation without coming to the home or starting point after the previous operation.

Another specific object of the invention is to provide a motions control system of the aforesaid type employing fully digital control which is especially adapted for sensing the direction in which it must move, for sensing how far away it is from its destination and for sensing slowdown points.

Another specific object of the invention is to provide an improved multiple coordinate, three dimensional control system for a stacker crane having optimum flexibility in that it is capable of performing a large number of functions.

A further specific object of the invention is to provide an improved numerical, direct static logic system for controlling interlocked movements of a multiple coordinate motions stacker crane from punched cards or similar digital code bearing media.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear.

According to the invention, there is provided a direct static logic system for controlling a stacker crane, direct meaning that a positive input to a logic element produces a positive output and a zero input produces a zero output and no signal inversion takes place in any of the logic elements except the NOT logic element which purposely inverts the voltage.

The heart of the system is a digital computer of the binary code subtracting type which computes the directions and the distances every step of the way and the slowdown points at the proper times rather than relying on a less reliable sequencing scheme. This computer subtracts the desired-position indicative binary code from the actual-position indicative binary code for each of the bridge, the trolley and hoist and provides both a direction indicative signal at one of two possible outputs and a distance indicative difference binary code for controlling the respective motions. These subtractions are performed at predetermined steps along the way when the actual-position indicative binary codes are read so that any error which might have occurred at one point is completely eliminated when a new reading is taken and a new subtraction made. The

' desired-position indicative binary codes are obtained from punched cards by card readers and applied directly to the subtractor. Two card readers are used, one for storage codes and the other for retrieval codes to allow the crane to go from any place to any other place. The actual-position indicative binary codes are read from sets of magnetic code bars by proximity readers moving with the bridge, trolley and hoist, respectively, these sets of code bars being mounted along their respective paths of travel. Although difference binary codes of large magnitude are obtainable, since seven, six and six bit binary codes are used for the bridge, trolley and hoist, respectively, all codes larger than slowdown values function in the same way in conjunction with the direction indicative signal to cause continuous base speed operation whereas small difference binary codes such as equivalent decimal values of 3, 2 and 1 for the bridge and 2 and 1 for each of the trolley and hoist initiate slowdown action preparatory to stopping at zero difference, it being recognized that these small difference binary codes indicate that the moving device, as the case may be, is approaching its desired destination.

Rotary motion of the mast which mounts the articlesupporting fork does not require computer control in the illustrated embodiment since its movements for warehousing application are relatively simple. That is, the fork has only three positions, a middle or westwardly directed position for loading and unloading purposes and north and south positions for the racks on opposite sides of the long aisle. The rotary position indicative codes, which are one hole codes for north or south or middle, are obtained from the punched cards by the card readers and are applied directly to the rotate motor control, the rotation being stopped at the proper position by limit switches.

The system is also provided with means for performing auxiliary functions including bypassing the storing or retrieving cycle under the control of a bypass card but allowing the other unbypassed cycle to take place; detecting a full rack or bin and returning the load to the pickup station; at the end of a storing cycle when the empty fork is in the long aisle adjacent the just-filled storage rack, determining whether the article to be retrieved is in a new aisle or side and if so, selecting another binary code program from the punched card which will cause movement of the bridge first to a cross aisle to allow shifting of the trolley or rotation of the fork; in conjunction with the above new aisle or side determination, selecting the nearest cross aisle for trolley shifting or fork rotation by choosing between two alternatives in the selected other binary code program, one of which will route the bridge back to the west (home) cross aisle when the just-filled storage bin is within a first range of bridge positions and-the other of which will route the bridge to the middle cross aisle when the just-filled storage bin is beyond said range in the remaining bridge positions, it being assumed, of course, that these ranges of bridge positions are nearest the respective cross aisles; and selecting under manual control either one of two set-down stations to which the retrieved article is to be brought by selecting one of two retrieval programs from the punched card. Means for performing" other particular auxiliary functions such as interlocks, lockouts, restrictions on certain movements, preset conditions, etc., will become apparent as the description proceeds.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS These and other objects and advantages of the invention and the manner of obtaining them will best be understood by reference to the following description of an embodiment of an automatic storage and retrieval system taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective end view ofa warehouse schematically showing three bays of racks or bins and the stacker crane installed therein;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of an exemplary warehouse schematically showinga multiplicity of rows of racks or bins separated by eight long aisles and two cross aisles and a stacker crane resting in the west-end cross aisle;

FIGS. 3 through 14 are circuit diagrams schematically showing the automatic storage and retrieval system;

FIGS. 15 and 16 are circuit diagrams showing details of a binary code subtractor shown as a rectangle in the system of FIGS. 3-14;

FIG. 17 on sheet 14 shows details of a signal converter used in FIG. 15;

FIGS. 18 and i9 diagrammatically show the sequential operational program steps for the storage and retrieval cycles, respectively, of the system of FIGS. 1-16, including selectable alternate program steps; and

FIG. 20 on sheet 6, is a block diagram showing how the circuits of FIGS. 3-14 are assembled.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS v Referring to FIG. 1, the warehouse shown therein comprises a pair of side tracks or bridge rails I and 2, one along each side of the warehouse near the top, on which a stacker crane 3 is supported and along which it rolls the length of thewarehouse. The bays 4 of racks or bins in which articles are stored stand on the floor of the warehouse. As shown schematically in FIG. 1, each bay 4 comprises a center frame 5 and horizontal rows and vertical columns of bins 6 supported on opposite sides of the center frame so that they are accessible from the long aisles 7 which run between the bays. Alternatively, racks may be used instead of bins which would consist of spaced apart steel beams in rows and columns projecting in cantilever fashion in opposite directions from main frame 5. As will be apparent, such racks could support elongated articles such as metal bar stock including angle irons, rods, etc., in groups of bundles which would span two or more of the steel beams. While only three enlarged bays of storage bins are shown in FIG. 1 for clarity of illustration it will be apparent that a larger number thereof is normally used in a warehouse as shown in the top view of FIG. 2.

As shown in FIG. 1, stacker crane 3 comprises a bridge 8 spanning the warehouse and supported at its opposite ends on side rails 1 and 2. The ends of the bridge are provided with wheels (not shown) driven by an electric motor drive in known manner to afford running of the bridge the length of the warehouse. 

1. In a control system for a driven device that is adapted to operate in controlled sequences a plurality of motor controls, electrical control apparatus comprising: a forward and reverse motor control; an up and down hoist motor control; an in and out lateral motor control; binary code input means and means for controlling the same to insert into the system binary codes indicative of desired amounts of operation of the travel and hoist motor controls, and indicative of operation of the lateral motor control in a controlled sequence therewith; means for initiating operation of the system; program control means responsive to said initiation of operation of the system for controlling operations of the travel and hoist and lateral motor controls in a controlled sequence comprising: binary coded means mounted along coordinate paths defined by said travel and hoist motor control operations and being indicative of actual amounts of operation thereof; reader means operable in synchronism with the operation of said travel and hoist motor controls to extract actual-position indicative codes from said binary coded means at predetermined defined points as the travel and hoist motor controls are operated; means for comparing each actual-position indicative binary code with the inserted binary code to obtain a difference code each time an actual-position indicative binary code is extracted; means for providing directional output signals indicative of the polarities of the difference codes, that is, indicative of whether the difference code is plus or minus; first motion control means operable to cause the travel and hoist motor controls to be oPerated in their forward or reverse and up or down directions in accordance with the last obtained difference code and the last directional signal provided respectively therefor; limit control means for the lateral motor control; and second motion control means operable to cause the lateral motor control to be operated in its in and out directions under control of said program control means and said limit control means in a predetermined programmed sequence with said operations of said travel and hoist motor controls.
 2. The invention defined in claim 1, wherein said first and second motion control means comprise: means responsive to completion of operation of said travel and hoist motor controls for causing sequential operation of said lateral motor control in its in direction, operation of said hoist motor control in its up or down direction as determined by said digital input code followed by operation of said lateral motor control in its out direction.
 3. The invention defined in claim 1, wherein said first motion control means comprises: means for simultaneously causing operation of said travel and hoist motor controls.
 4. The invention defined in claim 1, wherein said first motion control means comprises: binary code recognition means responsive to a difference code equal to or smaller than a predetermined small value for initiating slow-down action of the travel and hoist motor controls.
 5. The invention defined in claim 4, wherein said binary code recognition means comprises: means responsive to a difference code of zero for providing a stopping action of the travel and hoist motor controls.
 6. The invention defined in claim 1, wherein said binary coded means mounted along coordinate paths defined by said travel and hoist motor control operations and being indicative of actual amounts of operation thereof comprises: magnetic bits arranged in a binary code and mounted along the paths of movement defined by said travel and hoist motor control operations so as to be sensed at periodic points therealong. 